Answer
There are millions of organisms on this earth. So, it is harder to study them one by one. Therefore, we look for similarities among them and classify them into different classes to study these different classes as a whole. Classification makes our study easier.

Give three examples of the range of variations that you see in life-forms around you.

Answer
Examples of range of variations observed in daily life are:
→ Organisms vary greatly in size-from microscopic bacteria to elephants, whales and large trees.
→ The colour of various animals is quite different. Some worms are even colourless or transparent. Various types of pigments are found in plants.
→ The life span of different organisms is also quite varied. For example, a crow lives for only 15 years, whereas a parrot lives for about 140 years.

Which do you think is a more basic characteristic for classifying organisms?
(a) The place where they live.
(b) The kind of cells they are made of. Why?

Answer
The more basic characteristic for classifying organisms is the kind of cells they are made of because different organisms may share same habitat but may have entirely different form and structure. So, the place where they live cannot be a basis of classification.

What is the primary characteristic on which the first division of organisms is made?

Answer
Plants and animals are put into different categories on the basis of Mode of nutrition.Plants are autotrophs. They can make their food own while animas are heterotrophs which are dependent on others for food. Also, locomotion, absence of chloroplasts etc. make them different.

Which organisms are called primitive and how are they different from the so-called advanced organisms?

Answer
A primitive organism is the one which has a simple body structure and ancient body design or features that have not changed much over a period of time.As per the body design, the primitve organisms which hav simple structures are different from those so-called advanced organisms which have complex body structure and organization.

Answer
Yes, because the advanced organisms also were like the primitive ones once. They have acquired their complexity relatively recently. There is a possibility that these advanced or ‘younger’ organisms acquire more complex structures during evolutionary time to compete and survive in the changing environment.

What is the criterion for classification of organisms as belonging to kingdom Monera or Protista?

Answer
In the hierarchy of classification,a species will have the smallest number of organisms with a maximum of characteristics in common, whereas the kingdom will have the largest number of organisms.

Excercise

Answer
Following are the advantages of classifying organisms:
→ It makes us aware of and gives us information regarding the diversity
of plants and animals.
→ It makes the study of different kinds of organisms much easier.
→ It tells us about the inter-relationship among the various organisms.
→ It helps us understanding the evolution of organisms.
→ It helps in the development of other life sciences easy.
→ It helps environmentalists to develop new methods of conservation of plants and animals.

How would you choose between two characteristics to be used for developing a hierarchy in classification?

Answer
The basis for grouping organisms into five kingdoms are:
→ Complexity of cell structure – There are two broad categories of cell structure: Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic. Thus, two broad groups can be formed, one having prokaryotic cell structure and the other having eukaryotic cell structure. Presence or absence of cell wall is another important characteristic.
→ Unicellular and multicellular organisms – This characteristic makes a very basic distinction in the body designs of organisms and helps in their broad categorizations.
→ Cell Wall: Presence and absence of cell wall leads into grouping.
→ Mode of nutrition -Organisms basically have two types of nutritions – autotrophic who can manufacture their own food and heterotrophic who obtain their food from external environment, i.e., from other organisms). Thus, organisms can be broadly classified into different groups on the basis of their mode of nutrition.

What are the major divisions in the Plantae? What is the basis for these divisions?

Answer
The major divisions in Kingdom Plantae are:
→Thallophyta
→ Bryophyta
→ Pteridophyta
→ Gymnosperms
→ Angiosperms
The following points constitute the basis of these divisions:
→ Whether the plant body has well differentiated, distinct components.
→ whether the differentiated plant body has special tissues for the transport of water and other substances.
→ The ability to bear seeds.
→ Whether the seeds are enclosed within fruits.

How are the criteria for deciding divisions in plants different from the criteria for deciding the subgroups among animals?

Answer
The characteristics used to classify plants is different from animals because the basic design are different, based on the need to make their own food (plants) or acquire food (animals).
Criteria for deciding divisions in plants are:
→ Differentiated/ Undifferentiated plant body
→ Presence/ absence of vascular tissues
→With/without seeds
→ Naked seeds/ seeds inside fruitsBut the animals can’t be divided into groups on these criteria. It is because the basic designs of animals are very different from plants. They are divided on the basis of their body structure.

Explain how animals in Vertebrata are classified into further subgroups.

Answer
Animals in Vertebrata are classified into five classes:(i) Class Pisces: This class includes fish such as Scoliodon, tuna, rohu, shark, etc. These animals mostly live in water. Hence, they have special adaptive features such as a streamlined body, presence of a tail for movement, gills, etc. to live in water.(ii) Class Amphibia: It includes frogs, toads, and salamanders. These animals have a dual mode of life. In the larval stage, the respiratory organs are gills, but in the adult stage, respiration occurs through the lungs or skin. They lay eggs in water.(iii) Class Reptilia: It includes reptiles such as lizards, snakes, turtles, etc. They usually creep or crawl on land. The body of a reptile is covered with dry and cornified skin to prevent water loss. They lay eggs on land.

(iv) Class Aves: It includes all birds such as sparrow, pigeon, crow, etc. Most of them have feathers. Their forelimbs are modified into wings for flight, while hind limbs are modified for walking and clasping. They lay eggs.

(v) Class Mammalia: It includes a variety of animals which have milk producing glands to nourish their young ones. Some lay eggs and some